


In So Many Words

by liss99



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: 500ish words, Drabbles, I can't seem to stop writing for this fandom, situation + sentence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29494662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liss99/pseuds/liss99
Summary: How do you express love, in so many words?Five 500 word drabbles for the eight Bridgerton couples, totaling 40 drabbles. Each chapter is a different couple. Each drabble is created from a randomly paired situation and piece of dialogue/text. Pairings were randomly assigned to the couples, so this is truly a drabble prompt fic.Current Chapter: Daphne and Simon
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane, Francesca Bridgerton/Michael Stirling, Hyacinth Bridgerton/Gareth St. Clair, Lucy Abernathy/Gregory Bridgerton, Sophie Beckett/Benedict Bridgerton
Comments: 34
Kudos: 184





	1. Anthony and Kate

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I can't stop writing for Bridgerton and I love writing stories that involve all of the couples (I know I gotta update my Violet fic, don't worry, it's coming) and I got the idea for this the other night....just as the summary says, I'll be writing five drabbles of around 500 words each for all eight of the main Bridgerton couples. Each chapter will be one couple, and the first up is Anthony and Kate because the casting of Kate for S2 inspired me. Y'all, she is beautiful and I cannot wait. 
> 
> How did I go about writing this? I made two lists: one which had 40 settings/situations/prompts and one which had 40 phrases/quotes/tidbits of dialogue. Then I used a random number generator to match up a setting with a piece of dialogue, then randomly assigned five of those matches to each couple. This is the result, I hope you enjoy!

1\. Both _ are drunk and happy + “ _ **I don’t want to leave you just yet. It wouldn’t feel right.”**

It was supposed to be a casual thing. They’d agreed that since they ran in the same circles and that they were both too busy with work, he as a banker and she as an attorney, it made sense for them to have some sort of agreement. Every week, they’d usually meet up once or twice. Anthony would knock on Kate’s door, they’d say some frivolous pleasantries, then find themselves buried in one another. They didn’t spend the night with each other. 

Somewhere along the way, it became less casual. Anthony would invite her to family events, claiming it wasn’t out of the ordinary for a Bridgerton to bring a friend to picnics or christenings. Kate went along with it  _ because as his friend,  _ she wanted to make sure she was there for him in ways that weren’t just sex. So soon she found herself meeting all his siblings, and his mother, and it almost felt like they were her family too. 

Their routine changed. The nights of passion were preceded by a movie, or a stroll through the park, a concert, dinner, roller skating. To anyone that didn’t know them, it seemed like they were any other couple in love with each other. But they still didn’t spend the night. That was too real. No, dinner, a movie, sex, leave; that was what they did. 

After a better part of the year, Anthony realized that being in Kate’s presence was the most important thing to him. She made him laugh, like when she tried to do impressions of old male actors, shriveling up her nose and stomping around his flat. There was something about her spirit that made him want to be nowhere else on earth if she wasn’t there. Love surprises you like that. Realizing he loved her made it scary, because now, the thought of their agreement ending, it made him quiver with distaste. 

Kate always imagined she’d fall in love, but she supposed what she had with Anthony was as close as she would get. She was always satisfied and had someone around who would listen to her jokes. The only thing that seemed to be missing was waking up wrapped in a loving embrace. 

When her sister Edwina got married, to no one’s surprise, Kate took Anthony as her date. Once her maid of honor duty was over, she and Anthony didn’t leave the dance floor, except to retrieve more glasses of champagne. They stumbled into her flat that evening, drunk from the bubbles and intoxicated with each other. Neither had ever felt such incandescent happiness before. 

Anthony lied next to her on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn’t want to leave. Thinking he could engage in a casual relationship with a woman like Kate and not fall in love? What a fool he was. 

She saw him thinking and gently stroke his face, turning him to look at her, silently asking him what he was thinking about. 

“I don’t want to leave you just yet. It wouldn’t feel right,” he whispered. 

“Then stay,” she responded, her face engulfing in the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. 

The next morning, they both changed their Facebook relationship status from “it’s complication” to “in a relationship,” and never again spent a night apart. 

2\. Seeing _ each other for the first time in a while + “ _ **Do I love you? Yes. Do I like you? That’s still up for debate.”**

Parliamentary duties were perhaps his least favorite thing about being a viscount. He was expected to be in London whenever Parliament was in session, which in the early days of their marriage, was not a disturbance to Anthony or Kate. Having grown up outside the city, Kate loved any opportunity she had to spend time in London. 

However, as their family grew, wrangling the children together for a day-long journey to the city to only spend a couple of days or a week there proved too difficult. So whenever Anthony was called away to London, Kate and the children often stayed behind in Kent at Aubrey Hall. Five or six days was usually the maximum amount of time he was gone, but one trip, in particular, found him delaying his return to Kent. 

A messenger arrived with a note for Kate the afternoon he was expected home. 

_ Simon requires my assistance, I will be just a few days more. Please tell the children how much I miss them. I love you. -Anthony _

Circumstances like this had occurred before, and while it was tempting to pack up the children and join Anthony, Kate knew he preferred she stay put and not disrupt their idyllic country life. However, when several more days passed, and Edmund questioned his father’s whereabouts, Kate started to ponder what she was to do. 

“Mama, I thought you said papa was to arrive home days ago,” 11-year-old Edmund inquired. The boy looked up to his father as Anthony did to his. 

“He was, Edmund,” Kate sighed as she ran her fingers through her son's hair, “But I’m sure there is a perfectly good reason as to why he has not arrived home.” 

That evening, Kate counted the days since she had last seen her husband. A fortnight. Since the day they were married, they had never been separated from one another for that long. She was resolute that she and the children would leave for London the next morning if there was no word from Anthony. But to her delight, she heard a carriage arrive in the midmorning. 

“Papa!” four-year-old Charlotte exclaimed as she ran into her father's arms. The boys and Kate were not far behind, and Kate’s heart soared seeing her husband embrace their children with a gallant smile on his face. 

She waited until the children had each said their hellos, and then when they ran back inside, sauntered to her husband with a sly look on her face. He reached for her as if to kiss her, but she stopped him with a gentle hand raise. 

“You could have written again, you know?” She told him, and he understood she meant about his absence. 

“It was just a few days more, and by the time I knew and could have sent a letter, it wouldn’t have arrived much sooner than I. I am sorry. You do still love me, don’t you?” He teased. 

“Do I love you? Yes. Do I like you? That’s still up for debate,” she smiled wide and her eyes glimmered with love. 

That was all the approval Anthony needed to pull her in for a passionate, devoted kiss. 

3\. After _ a near-death experience +  _ **“I just want to let you know that I love you. A lot. Never forget that.”**

His fondest memories of childhood were hikes with his father. Edmund Bridgerton loved the natural world, and ensuring his children did too was one of his most wanted goals. Anthony spent many summers on his father’s back, then holding his hand when his siblings came along, then eventually leading the pack. Exploring the land he would one day inherit was Anthony’s greatest joy. 

When his father died, being at Aubrey Hall was painful. He’d look out at the vast beauty that occupied the land and couldn’t help but feel like something was missing from its allure without his father there. Then along came Kate and eventually, their children. They restored the love and joy he had for his family’s ancestral home. 

The contraption Edmund had long ago fashioned to carry his children around the grounds remained stored away for years in a gardening shed. One of the servants found it shortly after young Edmund, Anthony’s first son, was born and brought it to the viscount. Kate swore she saw him tear up at the sight of the thing. When Edmund was big enough, which to Anthony, was six months old, he loaded his son up in the device and took off for the rolling hills. When Miles came along, it was Edmunds time to walk alongside his father. Sometimes he even managed to convince Kate to come along. She would never admit this to him, but she liked to leave him and their sons alone for hikes because it gave Anthony a chance to be the only parent, cementing himself as an idol to their kids as his father had been for him. But now and then, when she felt like he’d had enough solitary time with the children for a bit, Kate would tag along on the adventure. 

One afternoon, the kitchen packed the young family a picnic lunch, which they planned to enjoy when they reached the top of a hill. It wasn’t too large of a hill, certainly not a mountain, but the hike would be an all-day endeavor. 

When they reached a spot flat enough for a picnic, Kate removed the baby off his father’s back as Anthony set out the meal. Bringing laughter to his son’s faces was something that brought great joy to Anthony, so he set out to perform a silly improvisation at the edge of the hill. He was running around imitating animals when before he knew it, he tripped on a vine and started tumbling down the hill. 

Kate shrieked when her husband’s body disappeared over the edge of the hill, but minutes later, after she grabbed both of her children and quickly as she could race down the hill to find her husband, she was relieved to see he was okay. 

“‘Tis but a scratch, wife,” he said. “I shall be fine with some rest.”

Setting the children down and telling them to play, she took her husband’s hand and said “I thought you died.”

Anthony knew it wasn’t that serious of a fall, but given the extreme emotions he felt when he recalled his wife’s turn in a certain carriage accident, he didn’t blame her for thinking the worst. Instead, he reassured her the best way he knew how. 

“I just want to let you know that I love you. A lot. Never forget that” he whispered and kissed her forehead.

4\. Stuck _ together for a long period of time +  _ **“Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”**

Their offices were in the same building, and they had come across one another often enough. She knew he worked for some management firm, the kind where the men who worked there had a litany of women they rolled through. She worked for a non-profit, centered on helping domestic violence victims. There was no doubt in her mind she was superior. Still, every time they found themselves in an elevator together, she couldn’t help but notice the way his hair seemed perfectly fit for his head, or how he always had his socks match his tie or that his Starbucks order was always a tall half-caff espresso, triple shot. He was most definitely a dangerous game. 

One Monday morning, she found that it was just her and him in the elevator. He worked on the 13th floor, she the 11th. It was a decently long ride for two strangers. They’d just passed the 7th floor when the elevator made a crotchety sound and slowly came to a halt. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she gasped as she heard him say “Christ!”

Neither of them looked like they knew what to do, but then she saw him reach for his phone and dial a number. She tried not to eavesdrop but it was clearly too small of space not to. He asked someone if there was something wrong with the elevator, grunted, and then hung up. 

“Apparently there was a maintenance sign for elevator 3,” he turned to her. “I’m afraid we both missed it, obviously.” 

She couldn’t believe her luck. Trapped in an elevator with the man she didn’t want to maybe have a crush on. He reached out his hand toward her. 

“I’m Anthony,” he smiled as she took his hand, “I work for Bridgerton & Sons.”

“Kate,” she responded, “I’m with The Chevron Project.” 

“Ah, I see,” he said. They stood there in silence for a few moments before he took a seat while saying, “My brother said it’ll be some time before we will get out of here, seems we’ve created a whole new problem for maintenance.” 

She took his cue to sit down and felt herself loosening up. They sat in silence for a little bit more, then she saw him lick his lips and look directly at her. 

“Tell me what you’re thinking right now,” he looked at her. 

“What?” She responded, surprised by his forwardness. 

“We’ve got no one to entertain us but each other for at least an hour, tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

And so she did.

“I’m thinking,” she began slowly, “I see you almost every day in this building and I’ve managed to form an opinion about you, one that you seem to be disproving right before my eyes.”

“Is that so,” he smirked as he scooted closer to her. They talked for what seemed like hours, about the other’s families, their careers, their hopes, and dreams. Somehow a coffee date was arranged, and when the doors to the elevator wrenched open, he helped her stand up and then winked at her as he meandered away. Kate, for her part, was left breathless by the encounter, but that Saturday, when they met for coffee, she was so glad she missed the maintenance sign. 

5\. On _ a road trip together +  _ **“I promise I’ll always be there for you. No matter what. You’re not alone anymore.”**

As head of the family, Anthony made sure to visit each of his siblings at their homes at least once a year. Daphne was easy, she and Simon were often in residence in London when he and Kate were, so there was no trouble there. Benedict and Eloise were out in the country, not too far from one another, so visiting them was also not difficult. Gregory, Hyacinth, and Colin spent most of their time in London as well, so for them, he invited them to come to visit out at Aubrey Hall instead of him visiting them. 

But Francesca, she spent most of her time in Scotland, with Michael. It was the longest visit to any of his siblings, but Anthony rather enjoyed the Scottish country and found that the days-long journey gave him ample time with his family. Miraculously, his children all fell asleep in the carriage, something for which he and Kate were grateful. A few hours into the first day of the journey, Miles was asleep next to Kate, while Edmund was on her other side, with little Charlotte asleep in Anthony’s arms. 

Kate was reading a book, enjoying the reprieve of the noise her sleeping children had given her. Anthony looked on at his family and was so beholden to whatever being possessed him with such a wonderful life. He was staring at Kate a little too long, he presumed, because she seemed to detect his eyes and dropped her novel. 

“What is it, my love,” she smiled at him, “do I have something upon my face?”

When he didn’t respond, she sighed and asked directly “Why are you staring at me?”

“Can a man not appreciate his wife’s beauty?” he grinned. Kate joined Anthony in laughter, but then he got serious. “Sincerely, I am so grateful you are in my life.” 

He’d expressed things like this throughout their marriage, it helped him overcome his fears of dying young, naming what he was grateful for. Kate knew he often thought back to the solitude he was determined he would leave before he met her. Ensuring he knew she was not going anywhere, and neither was he, was critical to her. Doubt was not a feeling which should plague her husband. 

She reached across the aisle of the carriage and took his hand. 

“I promise, I will always be there for you. No matter what. You’re not alone anymore,” she said. He squeezed her hand before bringing it up to his lips to gently kiss as his response. 

“Being not alone with you and our children is the grandest feeling I could ever imagine,” he said softly. 

The children woke up not long after, and though there was permanent noise the rest of the way to Scotland, Kate and Anthony couldn't ask for anything better. 


	2. Gregory and Lucy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you express love, in so many words?
> 
> Five 500 word drabbles for the eight Bridgerton couples, totaling 40 drabbles. Each chapter is a different couple. Each drabble is created from a randomly paired situation and piece of dialogue/text. Pairings were randomly assigned to the couples, so this is truly a drabble prompt fic.
> 
> Next: Gregory and Lucy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure what order I'd release these in, but then decided to be chaotic and do it randomly, so next up is Gregory and Lucy! I love their playful relationship and really tried to show that in these drabbles. Enjoy!

1\. Independently _showed up to the costume party in matching costumes +_ **“Stop having loud arguments outside my door.”**

A ticket to the Bridgerton family Halloween party was the most sought-after object in all of London. The Bridgertons, with their abundance of wealth and array of party planners, took great pride in throwing the best costume party every year. 

Gregory Bridgerton, the only single sibling of the family, was tasked with merely showing up. 

Looking through his mess of a closet in the flat he shared with some university friends, he found an off-white ¾ sleeve shirt, a black vest, a pair of suit pants, and an old pair of black boots from his riding days. In its current state, Gregory’s hair was short but fluffy enough to pull off Han Solo. He fashioned a holster out of some belts and found one of his replica Star Wars toys and made his way to his family’s party. 

When he arrived, there were already at least 100 guests, but it didn’t take long for any of his siblings to spot him. He felt a hand clasp on his shoulder and turned around to find his older brother Benedict. 

“Greggy, look what you managed to pull together,” Benedict said as he handed Gregory a beer. “A handsome intergalactic space cowboy you make, brother!”

Gregory laughed with his brother and took a sip of the cold, crisp beer. 

“Gregory!” Benedict’s wife Sophie, who’d joined the pair, said. “Why didn’t you tell us you and Lucy were coming dressed together?”

“Huh? Lucy? What are you talking about?” Gregory was confused why his sister-in-law assumed he was here with Lucy Abernathy. 

“Lucy is Princess Leia….did you not plan this?” Sophie said incredulously, pointing over his shoulder. And then he saw her, in her white frock and space buns. Lucy had always been the object of his heart, yet the two of them had never been single at the same time. Currently, she was seeing some bloke named Haselby. It was a sore spot between Gregory and Lucy. 

Gregory excused himself from Sophie and Benedict and walked over to Lucy, who’d been talking to some friends. He pulled her arm and dragged her into the nearest alcove. 

“What on earth are you doing?” she exclaimed.

“Why are you wearing that?” 

“My costume?” 

“Yes,” he said annoyed, “it appears we’ve dressed in a couple’s costume when we are not a couple!” 

“Oh,” Lucy said, her voice getting louder, “why is that such a bad thing?”

“Because you are here with somebody else!” Gregory was sure he was shouting now but didn’t care, because Lucy didn’t even pretend to understand why he was upset. 

“No I am not,” Lucy said calmly, putting her hand on his arm. “Haselby and I broke up a couple of weeks ago.” 

“And you didn’t tell me?” Gregory could not fathom why she would not tell him this news. 

“I was planning to tonight, you idiot, I didn’t want to just text you,” He could hear Lucy was annoyed now. 

“Stop having loud arguments outside my door and just kiss already,” came a voice that could only belong to his younger sister Hyacinth. He looked at where he and Lucy were and realized it was in fact outside Hyacinth’s door, who was surely in her room with her boyfriend Gareth. 

“Well,” Lucy looked at him expectantly. He tried to not smile, but he couldn’t, not when she was looking at him like that. He grabbed her face and brought her in for a long-awaited kiss. 

When they pulled apart, she looked at him and simply said “I love you,” to which he replied, “I know.” 

Every year after, they were always in a couple’s costume, _intentionally._

2\. Finally _home after a hard day_ \+ **“Hey, at least the stars are beautiful tonight, right?”**

Raising nine children was no easy task, but Gregory and Lucy Abernathy made it seem as simple as baking a cake. Still, nine children with only 12 years between the oldest and youngest were no walk in the park. 

The summer after the twins were born, the Bridgertons headed to Aubrey Hall, to stay with Gregory’s oldest brother. The children were easily entertained, but on one particular afternoon, nothing could seem to go right. The family was out on the grounds, basking in the sunlight, when all of a sudden, an ear-curdling shriek echoed. 

It was little Daphne, who was mad at her sister Hermoine for stealing the doll she’d been playing with. Lucy rushed over to her daughters to try and remedy the situation, but it appeared there was no use, Daphne would not forgive her sister's betrayal and refused to cease her crying. The ordeal made Hermoine frustrated, and when she was frustrated, she started crying too. 

While this was happening, Lucy and Gregory took their eyes off of two of their sons, Anthony and Benedict, who’d chased their older brother Richard up a tree. Richard, the precocious 11-year old that he was, didn’t fully understand that his younger brothers, whose bodies were littler, were not capable of climbing as high as he was. When Benedict tumbled out of the tree, crashing into Anthony on the way down, Richard let out a loud yell to alert his parents.

Lucy turned her head immediately and was met with horror, her sons piled on top of each other. Gregory had already run over and was relieved to find that his sons had not broken any bones, but were instead just upset from the shock and thrill of the fall. Their crying overtook their sisters, who still had not resolved their argument. 

Kitty, who’d been trying her best to read a novel, was discontented with her siblings, who’d so rudely disrupted her peace. She started yelling for her siblings to shape up, which just exacerbated their already present tears, as no one liked being yelled at by their elder sister. 

Gregory’s brother Anthony appeared, and suggested he take the children for a hike, but only if the crying was to stop. This quickly solved problems, and soon, the six eldest Bridgertons were off with their aunt, uncle, and cousins. 

Gregory and Lucy, with a moment of peace, journeyed inside to the nursery, where their youngest son Colin and their newborn twins were resting. Or, where they should have been resting. It would seem the babies sensed their siblings' displeasure and too decided to be colicky and unsoothable. After a rough few hours of consoling them, Gregory and Lucy’s three youngest children were finally back at peaceful sleep. 

Anthony and Kate informed the young parents that their remaining children were also asleep and that they’d had a servant set a blanket for them out on the lawn. Gregory was thankful for his brother’s intuit. 

As they sat down after the chaos of a difficult day of being parents, Lucy looked up at the skies and then turned to him and said “Hey, at least the stars are beautiful tonight, right?” and he just laughed into her. 

3\. Learning _a hobby together_ \+ **“You didn’t have to scare me like that.”**

Gregory and Lucy were a fun couple. Or, they wanted to be. They’d met their freshman year of university, and had been entirely inseparable ever since. When they first started dating, their dates were exciting, going bowling or on weekend trips, even paintball one time. But as they grew closer in love, they found curling up on the couch with a bottle of wine and some popcorn to watch a movie the extent of their once exciting dates. While they loved this and loved the time they got to spend together, they realized as they heard stories from their friends about the raucous dating lives they were living, they’d turned into an old married couple. So, they resolved to change it.

They vowed that every week they would go on a date that would involve leaving the house. Their fifth “adventure date,” as they’d grown to call them, was a sewing class. They took turns picking the dates and Lucy had always wanted to try making her own clothes. So, there they were in a little studio in London at a couples sewing class. By the end of the night, they were supposed to have created a shirt. Or something resembling a shirt. 

Gregory found he actually enjoyed pinning the pieces of fabric together, preparing them for Lucy, who was manning the sewing machine. He loved watching her intently stare at the tiny needle, seeing her focus on learning something new sparked mad desire within him. He turned away for a couple of seconds to begin pinning the next few pieces together, but abruptly turned to her when he heard her yelp. 

She was holding her hand close to her chest, and he knew she’d hurt herself. 

“Oh my god, Lucy what happened?” His concern was apparent immediately. He tried to grab her hand to examine her, but she reeled back from him, whimpering in pain. 

She turned her head away from him, and he figured it was because she’d started crying. Lucy hating people seeing her cry, she thought it was the ugliest thing ever. But he didn’t care about that, plus, he’d seen her cry so many times before. He was wrought with concern and worry and started mumbling about how they needed to leave now and get to a hospital to make sure her hand was okay. 

He was practically out the door when she called out for him to return to their station. His flustering had caused quite a commotion and the other participants were beginning to look over. 

She laughed and revealed to him her hand, which was not at all injured. 

“Lucy Abernathy!” he scolded. “You didn’t have to scare me like that.”

But then he smiled at her, because he was relieved she was okay and because pranking him was one of her odd ways of showing him she loved him. They’d been in a non-stop prank war since he’d trapped her in a closet when they first met. When they were least expecting it, one half of the couple would prank the other. The half who’d been pranked would take their revenge in the bed. And that night, when they got home from the sewing class, Gregory wasted no time enacting his revenge. They might have become an old married couple, but they were definitely a fun couple. 

4\. Trust _and Vows_ \+ **“I can’t believe you sometimes.”**

The wedding, being a Bridgerton affair, was as grand as a wedding could be. But the thing Lucy and Gregory Bridgerton would remember most about their wedding was the warm embrace they shared in their bed that evening. After celebrating their wedding in the best way possible, they lied together, warm and naked, and both so full of love for the other. 

He was gingerly playing with the rings on her fingers, examining them as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. The rings signified the vows they’d given to each other earlier that day, but he felt like there were more vows to be made. The traditional vows repeated to each other were not enough for him. He needed to prove to her how deep his love for her went, and he was determined to prove it in that moment and every moment after for the rest of their lives. 

“Lucy,” he whispered tenderly, “I forgot some vows today, might I give them to you now?”

Her response was a brazen kiss, met with an “I can’t believe you sometimes, ruining a moment like this was _talking.”_

“I vow I will not kidnap you again,” he started, not wanting to become too serious right away. 

She laughingly swatted at him, and said: “I trust that you will not.”

“I vow to worship you and your body whenever you give me the chance,” he whispered into her neck. 

Lucy moaned, “I trust that you will.” 

“I vow that I will be an excellent father to whatever children we have,” kissing her stomach. 

“I trust that you will.”

“I vow I will not foolishly believe myself in love with anyone other than you ever again so long as I live,” he said. 

“I trust that you will not,” her eyes sparkled. 

“I vow that I will do everything in my power to be worthy of your love and devotion,” he whispered, hovering on top of her. 

“I trust that you will,” she whispered back, capturing his mouth with hers. 

They made vows to each other for the rest of their lives, each of which was followed by an assurance of trust. Promises were not things they did, for those could be easily broken. A promise was merely words, while vows were actions. No, it was only vows for Lucy and Gregory, sacred and righteous to the very core of their existence. 

5\. Washing + **“They’re wrong about you.”**

Perhaps it was her maternal instinct, but Lucy Bridgerton found bathing her husband to be one of the most enjoyable experiences. Not only was it intimate, but it also gave her full control over her husband for a little bit. He would relax into the warm water and let her wash away whatever dirt and grime the day brought about. Sometimes he would convince her to join him in the tub, but more often than not, she perched outside of it, pouring water over his body, scrubbing him clean.

Even several years into their marriage, bathing Gregory was still magical. Touching the body that housed the soul which belonged to her was mesmerizing. She got to see him in his most vulnerable state, with his eyes closed, head leaned backward, relaxed to her touch. 

One evening, she found herself staring at her husband while she bathed him. This was not unusual, but her mind had drifted to thoughts she didn’t often think. When she married Gregory, she was warned by some people of the ton that though he came from an excellent family, Gregory was merely the fourth son of a viscount. He held no title or real power, which would leave Lucy to a life with no title or power either. But that hadn’t mattered in the slightest to her. Gregory loved and worshiped her, how could the ton be fools enough not to see that?

She pushed the soap through his hair and it slicked back onto his head. 

“They’re wrong about you.”

Gregory, who had peacefully closed his eyes, opened them with alarm. 

“Who is wrong about what, darling?” he sat up, confused by the sad look on his wife’s face. 

“The ton. They’re wrong about you and who you are,” she replied. 

He had little idea what he was talking about, he was not the kind of person to draw many rumors. She sensed his confusion and continued. 

“When I first married you, I was advised that you were only a fourth son, unlikely to ever inherit the viscounty, rendering me and my children titleless,” she explained. 

“And because of that, you were warned not to marry me?” 

“Yes. But it didn’t matter to me,” she sighed, “The fourth son of the Bridgertons…..you are so much more than that.”

His eyes gleamed at her with love. 

“You are a son, yes, a very good one. You treat your mother as if she is the earth herself,” Lucy began. 

“And how you fiercely love your siblings. You are the most wonderful brother to them.” 

He wanted to speak but knew this was her moment to share. 

“And oh what a father you are. I have never worried if our children will feel loved and protected because I know they have you as their father.”

There were tears pooling in his eyes, though he knew she was not done. 

“Then there is Gregory the husband,” Lucy laughed. “They do not know how I thank my lucky stars every night that you are my husband.”

He kissed her hands and the tears dropped onto them. 

“So yes, you may be the fourth son of a viscount, but you are so much more than that.”

With that, he yanked her into the tub with him to devour her with the love she deserved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you caught my Easter Egg :)


	3. Francesca and Michael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frannie and Michael's drabbles <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the drabble fic, enjoy! I love this couple sm.

1\. Stuck _ Indoors on a rainy day  _ \+ “ **You wanna bet?**

For Francesca and Michael, life together was magical. They split their time between Scotland and England, taking care of their tenants and being the responsible Earl and Countess of Kilmartin in Scotland, or visiting Francesca’s large family throughout England. 

Their marriage had blossomed from the most wonderful friendship, and though they came together somewhat out of grief, there was no one else in the world who could understand them but each other, not just emotionally, but bodily as well. 

Michael was able to turn any situation into a foray into the bedroom, so on a particularly rainy afternoon in Scotland, he was determined to do just that. He and Francesca were at the Kilmartin library, a place they often spent time together. After an hour or so of silent reading next to one another on the chaise, Michael gently plucked Francesca’s book from her hands. 

“What are you doing?” Francesca asked him with a flirtatious grin. 

“Seeing as this rain will likely not halt anytime soon, I was thinking perhaps we could engage in some rather wicked activities…” he whispered into her ear, then started to make his way down to salute her neck. 

“Actually,” she pushed him off with a laugh, “I have a different idea.”

“Hmm, and what is that?” He said, attempting to regain her in his lap. 

“I have a challenge for you, husband.” 

He raised his eyebrows towards her. 

“I challenge you to not touch me any longer today,” Francesca smiled giddily, excited by the idea of her game. 

“Why would you wish me to not touch you?”

“Because, if you can go the rest of the day without touching me, I shall reward you this evening,” she said directly. On their most recent jaunt to London, she’d gone to the modiste with her sisters, where she’d purchased a luxurious new night garment that she couldn’t wait to see Michael’s reaction to. But he would have to earn it. 

“I see, and if I fail?” He asked flirtatiously. 

“No reward,” she shrugged her shoulders innocently, “You wanna bet?”

He reached out his hand to shake on it, but as soon as Francesca reached to grasp it, he pulled it back and shot her a devilish smile, then got up and left the room. He would not touch her in even the slightest way, so as not to risk losing the reward he so wanted to discover. 

So for the rest of that cold, rainy day, Francesca taunted her husband and tried to entice him to touch her, even in the most innocent ways, but she was merely a pawn in this game with her husband. He didn’t come as much as six feet close to her for the rest of the day, so that evening, seeing as he had clearly won the bet, she instructed him to wait for her in bed. 

When she emerged, wearing nothing but a short, pink, lacy nightgown. 

Michael’s response was a growl of “Get over here, I have a lot of touching to make up for.” 

2\. Someone’s _ birthday _ \+  **“You just feel really good. Soft and warm…”**

Birthdays had always been rather inconsequential to him, just another marking of another year. They were simply a reminder of his wrought existence. When he was a boy, birthdays had been fun. He and John were less than a month apart in age, he was born in December and John in January. 

As a child, a birthday celebration meant he got to see his most beloved cousin, for they almost always were given a shared party. But as they grew older, John’s role as the Earl of Kilmartin began to overshadow this ritual. No longer was it “John and Michael Stirling, cousins and best friends celebrating their birthdays together.” No, as they aged, it became “John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin celebrates another year of his life.” Michael didn’t mind, he found having the attention on John right. The cousins always made sure to join together for a celebratory birthday drink, even if the lavish events of their childhood no longer occurred.

And then for the two years, John was married to Francesca, Michael began to detest his birthday because it meant witnessing her kind eyes and caring nature and whatever amazing gift she got for him. He dreaded it because he was in love with his cousin’s wife, and seeing how well she treated him in honor of his birthday broke him to his very core. Then John died. Birthdays became even more abhorrent. The marking of his birth was just a reminder that John would not be there for anymore, frozen in time at only 28 years old. 

Then, after years of unspoken love and separation, Michael and Francesca found their way into each other's arms. There was still pain around celebrating his birthday. Michael sometimes felt guilty that he had taken his cousin’s wife for his own, and that they were so happy. But then Francesca would remind him that John would have wanted nothing more than for the two of them to bring happiness to each other. So he began to enjoy growing older, with a beautiful wife by his side. 

Five years into their marriage, they’d yet to have any children, something Michael held zero remorse towards Francesca for. All he had ever wanted was her, and he meant it. But then, two beautiful bundles of baby bliss graced the Earl and Countess of Kilmartin with exuberant joy. Birthdays now meant he got to grow another year older, another year to see his children grow and prosper. 

On the morning of his 40th birthday, he was awoken to the sounds of childish laughter and opened his eyes to see his two-year-old son, John, carrying a rather large card the child no doubt painted for him. Following closely behind him was Francesca, with their baby daughter Janet on her hip. 

He smiled quickly up at the skies, silently thanking his cousin and his maker for blessing him so. 

Francesca handed Janet to him and lifted John into their bed, and he proceeded to attack his children with kisses. Then gently, he touched his hand to Francesca’s cheek and stared deeply into her eyes. 

“What?” she giggled, “Are you not satisfied with your birthday surprises thus far?”

“I am,” he said, “You just feel really good. Soft and warm.”

And she knew he meant she was soft and warm not just to his touch, but to his soul as well. 

3\. Breaking _ up _ \+  **“No, I love you too much to let you walk away like this.”** (with a twist)

She wasn’t sure when exactly the Stirling cousins became such an important part of her life. Having drunkenly met at a university party, she never expected to form such long-standing friendships with the men. John and Michael were both severely attractive and flirtatious, and it wasn’t long until Francesca found herself in John’s bed. 

Their relationship was fun and easy, she found herself blossoming into an exceptional woman. Her family loved him and with John, she also gained a best friend in Michael. 

However, after a couple of years of dating, Francesca found her eyes would go to Michael instead of John when they entered a room. Or she would be able to detect his scent right away, he always wore the same cologne, smelling of cedarwood and smoke. She was also acutely aware of how girls would flock to his side and practically throw themselves at him. 

How she came to love Michael, she had no idea. But then she realized how present he was in her life, he was the cousin of her boyfriend and one of her best friends. John had been the first to speak to her at that party all those years ago, but perhaps had it been Michael, she’d find herself with him now. She and John began to slowly drift apart, realizing that they were better friends than they were lovers. The breakup was mutual, which made it even harder. She wanted him to be angry or upset with her, but instead, she was met with grace and understanding. Admitting to herself that she’d fallen in love with his cousin made her feel like an adulterer, though nothing had ever happened. She knew he knew and couldn't understand how he wasn’t upset with her. 

They hugged each other close and afterward, he looked her in the eyes and said “You should tell him.”

“What?” Francesca was flustered. 

“Michael. You should tell him you love him. I know he loves you,” John said with a soft smile. 

“But wouldn’t that hurt you so much?” The last thing she wanted to do was hurt John, who’d been so good to her. 

“No, I love you too much to let you walk away like this,” he started, “thinking you don’t deserve to be loved by someone else because you don’t love me the same.”

Francesca would never understand how she’d been so lucky to be given two men who loved her so much, they put her happiness over their own. 

She kissed him on the cheek as he said, “You should be with him.” 

She and Michael got together gradually after that. They had known each other for years, but they didn’t want to rush into anything, out of respect for John but also because they didn’t want to lose the friendship they had created. 

Years later, they would name their son after John, because his selfless act of love was what had finally brought them together.    
  


4\. Lost _ in the middle of nowhere _ \+  **“Sorry. You’re just…really adorable.”**

For the Earl and Countess of Kilmartin, few things were better than exploring their country with their children. They were seated on the border of England and Scotland, so they often felt more English than Scottish. But Michael was determined his children would grow up to know Scotland and its beauty, so once a year, the Stirlings would set out on a countryside adventure. 

When their children were young, it was only a week or so, journeying around in a carriage, visiting historical sites, and staying in inns in major towns. As John and Janet grew, however, more enterprising journeys were of interest to the family. 

That’s how Francesca and Michael found themselves lost in the middle of a forest with their kids one hot summer day. A local in the town they were visiting suggested the family sally into the woods, which had once been a highlander commonplace. The man had given Michael directions on where to enter the woods and which paths to follow to emerge outside of it, a hike that the man told him lasted about four hours. 

The children were excited to be with no one but their parents and the forest, but three and a half hours in, it was clear the family was lost. Michael surmised that he’d gone right somewhere he was supposed to have gone left, and now they were deeper in the woods than intended. Still, they had set out early in the day, and if they simply turned around and ventured back onto the correct path, they would be out before dark. 

Before they made their way back, though, Francesca pulled her husband and children to a clearing she noticed. When they emerged from the woods into the expanse, all four Stirlings were mesmerized. 

“Mama, look how beautiful it is!” 7-year-old Janet exclaimed. Below them stood the vast countryside of Scotland, and for a moment it felt as if there were no place on earth more beautiful. 

It was a sunny day and they’d brought along some miniature sandwiches for lunch, so Francesca said they should stay at the clearing for a brief respite to lunch. Michael gleefully smiled in agreement, then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and pulled up the legs of his breeches before playfully grabbing his children. Even in his middle age, he was still quite a handsome man, and Francesca was glad for it. As she watched him play with their miracle children she fell into a fit of laughter. 

Michael paused for a moment and asked “are you quite alright, my dear?”

Francesca pulled herself together to respond to her husband’s inquiry. 

“Sorry. You’re just...really adorable,” she grinned at him and their children and he beamed back at her in response.

Getting lost became one of their favorite activities after that day; stopping to take in the beauty of the world would forevermore be a Stirling family tradition. 

5\. At _ a bar _ \+  “ **If you think I don’t feel anything for you, then you’re more stupid than I thought.”**

She was the sister of one of his best mates from university, Colin Bridgerton. Michael had come to love the Bridgerton family over his years of friendship with Colin, who had seven total brothers and sisters, and one very amiable mother. His charms were used and he quickly became a bona fide friend of the Bridgertons. 

When he was first introduced to Francesca, she’d been in a relationship with some guy Eventually, she was single again and they found themselves enjoying each other’s company. He was drawn to her independence, which was considerable given that she was the sixth of eight children. Neither of them ever sought to put a label on what they were doing, nor did they ever mutter anything real about feelings or love, as that was scary, but Michael was sure her siblings knew there was something between them. They’d often join her siblings and their significant others for nights out at the bar, where any member of the Bridgerton brood would make a hearty joke about their relationship. 

On one such night, they found themselves in the corner booth of a dimly lit bar that smelled of perspiration and roses. With them was Colin and his new wife Penelope, her sister Eloise and her boyfriend Philip, and on a rare night away from their children, their older brother Benedict and his wife Sophie. 

After several rounds of Guinnesses and Lemon Drops, everyone, except for Phillip (he was to be the level-headed designated driver, of course) found the courage of alcohol encouraging. 

“And then, Daphne had to quickly run to cover Hyacinth’s ears so our dear baby sister would not hear the topic of conversation,” Colin laughed, recounting some tale of when the youngest Bridgerton was present for a conversation in which she should not have been. The table laughed and then quieted after a moment, and Michael saw Eloise raise her eyebrows at Benedict, who gently nudged his wife. 

“Say, it is rather cramped in this booth is it not? Maybe someone should check out the dance floor for a bit so we can all have a little space,” Sophie not so subtly said.

Eloise chimed in with, “Frannie you are the best dancer, you and Michael should take a spin,” and before either of them knew it, Michael and Francesca were out on the dance floor. 

He held her close and took in her scent of lilac. 

“Your siblings are not subtle, you know?” He leered at her. 

“Subtly is not like the Bridgertons, I’m afraid,” she laughed. “I believe they only wish for us to stop dancing around one another and admit how we feel.”

“How we feel?”

“That we love one another,” she looked up at him, “You know I’ve been with no one else since we started whatever this is, my feelings for you are too deep for anyone else to even tempt me.”

“Your feelings for me?” 

“If you think I don’t feel anything for you, then you’re more stupid than I thought,” she laughed into him, done with his questioning. 

“I love you,” he whispered before he broke out into a huge smile as he leaned down to capture her for a kiss. Though two of her older brothers were just feet away, he didn’t care. For there in that hazy bar dance floor, they had finally admitted what they both knew was always there. 

When they broke apart, they could not miss the hoots and hollers coming from the corner booth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!


	4. Colin and Penelope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin and Penelope drabbles :)

1\. The _ anniversary of something _ \+  **“What? No, I never said that…”**

Colin and Penelope thought themselves to be a couple that could laugh at themselves. They knew the circumstances of their relationship and how they came to be together was nothing if not interesting. But once they were together, they were in wedded bliss. They helped each other grow and become the best versions of themselves. Three years into their marriage, they couldn’t be happier. 

Penelope bounded down the stairs of their house with a baby on her hip, eager to find her husband, who’d awoken early, and greet him. She was pleased to find him in the dining room, devouring a mountain of breakfast. He rose to greet her with a kiss on the cheek and take baby Thomas into his arms. 

“How are you this morning, my beloved wife?” He asked her. 

“I am quite well, and this one here seems to be quite taken with himself today as well,” she responded, pinching their baby on his soft cheeks. “And Agatha is still asleep, it will be a grand day.”

He smiled at her as she sat down and began to eat. Colin loved his family with every fiber of his being and few things pleased him more than a simple morning with them. 

“Colin, do you know what today is?” Penelope smirked at him. He immediately dropped his fork, thinking through all of the important dates. It was no one’s birthday nor was it their wedding anniversary. He had no idea what his wife was referring to but did not want to risk exposing he forgot something important, so he chortled out a response. 

“Our anniversary is not for a couple more weeks, darling?” he asked, hoping it would save him from any castigating. 

“Correct, our wedding anniversary is a couple of weeks away,” Penelope said, innocently spreading jam on a piece of toast. “But our other anniversary is today.”

“Our other anniversary?”

“Yes, the one where you exclaimed ‘I am certainly not going to marry Penelope Featherington!’” she said clandestinely. “It’s been 10 years.”

Colin’s heart stopped beating for a moment and he was dumbfounded and exasperated that she’d bring this up, though he suspected she was just jesting with him. When he saw the sly smile she gave his way, he knew his wife was merely teasing. 

“Ah, that fateful day,” he retorted, “And here I am now, certainly married to Penelope Featherington.”

“That you are, my husband!”

“Say, I do recall you actually saying you would never marry me that day as well. I was not the only one culpable of ill-timed speaking.”

“What? No, I never said that.”

“Yes of course you did, don’t you remember?” Colin said. 

“I believe I actually said I never said to anyone that I wished for you to ask me to marry you…” Penelope eyed her husband, seeing realization dawn over his eyes. 

“Ah, that’s right,” he resigned. “Well, no matter. I am glad to have come to my senses after being quite a fool 10 years ago.”

“I am glad you did too. Happy anniversary of that foolishness, my love,” Penelope said as she took his hand in hers. 

“Happy anniversary,” he whispered into their kiss.    
  


2\. Can Right _before a passionate/first kiss_ + **“Well geez, if you don’t like what I’m wearing, I can go and change.**

Cambridge University was the premier hunting ground for reckless disregard, and for Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, they were not resistant to its blinding charms. They met in a course their first year at the school, World Politics, and it wasn’t until he saw the short girl with fiery red hair raise her hand and answer a question no one else could that Colin first noticed Penelope. He was impressed with her brains and how she seemed completely unafraid of anyone or anything. When they were put in a group together for a presentation, he was thrilled to get to know her more. They became fast friends, studying together, seeking out one another for advice, meeting each other’s families. Penelope met Colin’s large family and quickly became friends with his many siblings. Throughout university, they were each other’s best friend. 

Then Colin started dating someone and things changed. Penelope didn’t realize her romantic feelings for him until then. What she thought was just deep devotion for a best friend, she later realized, was actually love for a man unmet by any other feeling she’d ever experienced. She vowed to herself to stay a true friend to him while he was with his girlfriend Marina, but she couldn't help but see how Marina gaslit Colin and manipulated him. Staying out of it was the only way Penelope knew she couldn’t hurt Colin. He was a grown man and was smart enough to figure out what was right for him. And he did, eventually. Marina was soon out of the picture and he was single again, and their friendship blossomed to its greatest bloom again. They graduated and got real jobs and became true adults, never letting their friendship waver, even if they were hundreds or thousands of miles apart. 

One of his brothers was getting married, and Colin, who’d spent the better part of the last five years traveling around the world for his work as a National Geographic reporter, was back in London for the wedding. He thought of no one better than Penelope to serve as his plus-one, though she likely would have been invited on her own anyways. Penelope lived not too far from the venue, so he offered to pick her up. It had been some time since he’d been home and he was excited to see her. Somewhere along the way, missing Penelope became the worst part of his travels. He rang her doorbell and she quickly answered, dressed in a bright pink satin dress that fell at her shins, with the top half of her body perfectly fit in a deep halter that showed the perfect amount of cleavage. She was absolutely breathtaking and Colin could not keep his eyes off her. 

“Colin? Hello. What’s wrong?” He was staring at her with this bewildered look on his face, and her first thought was that she didn’t look good in the dress. 

“Well geez, if you don’t like what I’m wearing, I can go and change,” she said and started to walk away, it was his brother’s wedding, after all, she wanted him to like how she looked. But before she could walk more than three steps, she found herself spun around and pinned up against her wall. Colin was hovering over her, and with a slow lick of his lips, he crashed his mouth down on hers. She reciprocated instantaneously, reaching up to grab his hair. Why it had taken them this long to reach this point, neither of them knew. But never again would they go a day without drinking the other in this very way.    
  


3\. Settling _ in for a cozy night together _ \+  **“** **I can make you some tea or something? Read you a story. Lie down in bed.”**

When she first informed him that she was pregnant, Colin was overwhelmed with joy. Being an uncle was one of his favorite things, and he saw how much his brothers relished in being fathers. It was only natural that he would be excited when Penelope informed him that they were to become parents themselves. It was cliche, and he’d been warned by his brothers that he would feel this way, but Colin was completely mad with wanting to ensure Penelope’s and the baby’s health and well-being. 

He would do quite near everything and anything for his wife, a trait which she found endearing and annoying. If she so much as wanted to go on a walk in the park, Colin would insist he escort her and that it would be short so she nor the baby would become too fatigued. She didn’t exactly enjoy being cooped up by her husband, but she also didn’t mind being waited on at her beck and call. Colin was just a concerned father to be, so Penelope indulged his worries. 

One evening, several months into her pregnancy, Colin and Penelope were visiting Aubrey Hall. It was the dead middle of winter, so it was rather chilly. Much of the family had retired for the evening, so Colin and Penelope did as well. When they reached their room, it was apparent that the fire had not been stoked throughout the day to keep it warm. Colin rushed to it and began trying to get heat circulating the room once again. Penelope, whose pregnant stomach had grown rather large by this point, made her way to sit down in a chair and remove her shoes. Once he had the fire taken care of, Colin made his way to his wife. He knew she was physically exhausted and as it always was, it was his pleasure to see that she felt better. 

He loomed over her, resting his hands on the armrests of the chair, before dropping a sweet kiss to her forehead. 

“Are you alright, my dear?” He asked. “Perhaps there is something I can do to relieve some of your exhaustion as we settle for the night.”

Penelope only let out a soft sigh of agreement. 

“I can make you some tea or something? Read you a story. Lie down in bed,” he smiled softly. 

“All of the above?” Penelope smiled up at him. 

“Of course,” he laughed, then with his strong arms, gently lifted his wife off the chair and into their bed. He helped her strip down to her nightgown and then tucked her under the covers. He didn’t want to leave her, so he rang for a servant to bring a cup of tea. She didn’t drink it during her pregnancy, but the aromas of lavender and chamomile calmed her. When that was settled, he asked, “Which story should I tell you?”

“The one where you realized you loved me, it’s my favorite,” she said as she curled up into his side. 

“Mine too,” he replied, and though the air outside was frigid, the heat of each other kept them warm all night. 

4\. Sharing _ a bed by necessity _ \+  **“You didn’t have to do this, you know.”** (everyone’s favorite trope, you're welcome)

“This is utterly ridiculous!” Colin exclaimed as he took in the room. 

“Colin, relax!” Penelope tried to cajole him, but he was incredibly frustrated. Eloise, Colin’s sister and Penelope’s best friend, was about to turn 30, and her boyfriend Phillip decided to throw her a surprise party. Colin and Penelope were driving out to the countryside where Eloise and Phillip lived a few days early to help prepare for the party. Eloise was on a business trip and wouldn’t suspect a thing. The only issue was that England was facing a massive snowstorm. 

“I can’t believe the bloody snowstorm shut down the roads,” Colin said, finally sitting down on the single twin-size bed that occupied the room. There wasn’t even a couch or chair, just one little tiny bed in the last room left at the roadside motel they’d managed to make it to. Penelope had always had a little bit of a crush on Colin, but he was her best friend’s brother. Besides, it wasn’t like Colin would ever reciprocate any feelings for her as if his outrageous reaction to only one bed wasn’t enough proof of that. 

“It’ll be okay, the plows will be out as soon as it stops and then we can make it to Phillip’s, Penelope said, pulling out her phone to check for any updates. 

“Sorry about the bed situation,” Colin said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. 

“It’s totally fine, it’s just one night,” she said, moving to set up a bed on the floor, “I’ll sleep on the floor.” 

“Absolutely not, Pen!” Colin responded. “I’ll sleep on the floor.” So he took over making the floor bed and soon they were both lying in the dark, he on the floor and she in the bed, wide awake as the owls. The weather outside had made the old motel feel frozen, and Penelope really needed extra warmth. 

“Colin?” she called to him. 

“Yeah?” he responded eagerly. 

“It’s really cold and I’m worried about you sleeping on the floor and getting hypothermia or whatever, come lay here with me, at least we can keep each other warm,” she blurted out at lightning speed. Colin didn’t argue with her and joined her under the covers, wrapping his arms around her. They both silently told themselves it was for heat, but they knew otherwise. It didn’t take long for their lips to find each other and their bodies to join as one. 

~

The next morning, Penelope, trapped by Colin’s arms around her waist, realized what happened and was embarrassed. Worse, she was sure Colin would be too once he realized. He slowly drifted awake and smiled at her as his eyes fluttered open. 

Penelope wanted to get the awkwardness over with, so she said “You didn’t have to do this, you know.”

“Do what? Have sex with you?” Colin looked offended. 

“Yeah. I know it was cold and there was only one bed but I crossed a line and now you probably hate me for sleeping with you,” Penelope said as she wouldn’t look him in the eye. 

He grabbed her face gently and pulled her to look at him. 

“Pen, I wouldn’t have had sex with you if I didn’t want to,” he said sincerely. “Besides, why would having sex with the person I’m in love with be a bad thing?”

Her mouth dropped open with shock. 

“You love me?”

“Of course I love you.”

Somehow, they didn’t make it to Phillip and Eloise’s on time. 

5\. Single _ parents whose children are best friends _ \+  **“Need some help?”**

Divorce sucked. But what sucked more, was his wife deciding that not only did she no longer want to be with him, but she didn’t want to be a mother anymore. Colin Bridgerton’s six-year-old son Colin James, known affectionately as CJ, lost his mother in the worst way possible. Colin thought it would have been better if his ex-wife had died rather than abandoned them. Then CJ wouldn’t grow up thinking his mother didn’t love him. It broke his heart to see his son hurt by his mother’s leaving, so Colin decided to pack up everything and move somewhere brand new, far away from the memories. He got a transfer at work and found the perfect little house and school for CJ. 

He was worried his son wouldn’t take the move and all of the change well at all, but CJ was thriving in their new life. A couple of weeks into school, he informed Colin how much he loved his school and his friends. Colin went to pick CJ up from school one day and saw his son playing with a girl with bright red hair that flowed messily down her back. They were on the swingset, and it gave Colin solace to know his son was grieving from the hurt of abandonment. 

He was lost watching his son play with his new friend when he saw a woman approaching. She was carrying a backpack, three large bags of groceries, a tutu that had clearly gotten messy from the playground’s wood chips, and a large Starbucks drink. There was no doubt that she was bound to drop any of the items and cause a huge mess, so he rushed over and said “Need some help?”

“Oh. That would be great! Thank you,” she accepted as he took the grocery bags and set them down on the picnic table he’d been leaning against. 

“You’re a parent to one of the rascals?” he nodded toward the playground. 

“Yes, actually my daughter is over there playing on the swingset with that little boy,” the woman pointed to where CJ was. 

“Ah, that’s my son! CJ. CJ Bridgerton, and I’m Colin Bridgerton. We just moved here,” he reached out his hand to shake hers. He noticed she had the same bright hair as her daughter and eyes that sparkled in the sun. 

“Penelope Featherington,” she introduced herself. “That’s my daughter, Polly.” 

“Ah, Polly! CJ has mentioned his new best friend to me many times,” Colin laughed. 

Penelope lifted her left hand to brush some hair out of her face, and he noticed she didn’t wear a wedding ring. 

They fell into natural conversation as their children played and he soon came to learn that Polly’s father had passed away and that Penelope was raising her on her own. He felt it was fate she and him met that day. Their conversation progressed to friendship, that friendship, a relationship, then eventually, marriage. When they brought home the new baby years later, CJ and Polly, now both 10 years old, were delighted their parents had met at the playground all those years ago, there to patch up each other’s shattered hearts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!


	5. Daphne and Simon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne and Simon drabbles, see the first chapter for construction explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

1\. _Massage_ \+  **“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out”**

There was little in the world that could shock Daphne. With seven siblings, she thought she had experienced every emotion that existed. But upon realizing she was pregnant for the fifth time, seventeen years after giving birth to her youngest child, she was struck with a feeling she did not think she had experienced yet. Daphne was punchdrunk, shocked, bewildered, and excited all at the same time. Simon had taken the news well, and it wasn’t like she was alone in being pregnant, certainly one of her sisters or sisters-in-law would be having a baby along with her. 

It was not unheard of for women in their forties to be with child, but it was certainly rare. She was worried about what a pregnancy would do to her aging body, but more so, she worried how the child would fare. Her mother had been 38, younger than Daphne was now, when she gave birth to her last child and it was the most wrought of any of her births. Daphne did not want to meet the same fate, or worse. 

As the months went on and her stomach swelled, those feelings dissipated. And finally, when little Edward was born, Daphne and Simon both breathed sighs of relief. To everyone’s delight, the pregnancy had gone splendidly as did the birth. 

Things were certainly odd with children at the ages of 20 years, 19 years, 18 years, 17 years, and five hours old. The girls were besotted with a baby brother and spoke of how soon they wished to have babies themselves, something which made Simon want to hurl. David swore to always protect and care for his brother, which made Simon proud. 

That evening, as Daphne held her newborn in her arms, she couldn’t help but smile down at him. Simon noticed however that she kept reaching to rub her neck as if there was a pain there. 

He wordlessly slid behind her in their bed and pulled her close to him, then began to massage her shoulders and neck. The tension immediately left her body and she sighed with relief. She knew she’d been holding it in, but didn’t realize just how bad it was until Simon touched her. 

“And what has you so tense this evening, my love?” he asked her. 

“I was rather tense the whole time I was pregnant with this cherub, out of fear of the worst circumstances,” she sighed. 

“Ah, but he is here now, safe, and so are you.”

“That we are,” she smiled up at him. “The girls, Amelia especially, are quite in want of their own children now. You’d think after all of the baby cousins that they’d realize it’s rather hard work.”

“Lord help me, something that never occurred to me when we had daughters was that one day they might wish to marry and have their own broods,” Simon laughed into Daphne’s head. 

She merely leaned back into him and laughed, knowing his thoughts were now occupied with thoughts of their daughters and the men who would want them. 

“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out,” she told him. And he knew they would, as they always did. 

2. _ One is recovering from a wound/illness _ \+  **“It’s just hard for me to forgive you after everything that’s happened.”**

The annual Pall Mall game at Aubrey Hall was something Simon Basset did not look forward to. Sure, it was a great occasion and all of his family was there, but the Bridgerton siblings often got severely competitive. Anthony was the most competitive, which was one of the only pleasures Simon got from the event. Seeing his old pal get frustrated with being bested at his game was a delight. Simon didn’t particularly care about the results of the game, but when Anthony enticed him in a particular situation this year, he couldn’t help but give it everything he could. 

They sat in Anthony’s study that morning, long before anyone else awoke. 

“Hastings, how do you feel about a deal for this year’s game?” 

“A dealt?”

“Yes. I feel our games of Pall Mall are quite similar every year, and I’d like to make things interesting.”

“I’m listening,” Simon leaned in. 

“You know I detest when Kate wins because she does not let me live it down. And likewise, when Daphne does rather well, she mentions it at every family gathering for the rest of the year,” Anthony said, leaning back and taking a sip of his drink. 

“You wish to form an alliance and prevent our wives from winning,” Simon stated matter of factly. He knew his friend and brother-in-law well. 

“Precisely.”

So the two men agreed that they would subtly team up to ensure their wives did not succeed in winning the game. Everything was going smoothly until Simon made a deadly mistake. Daphne was a few yards ahead of him, standing near her ball. He planned to hit his own hard enough that it pushed hers out of bounds. Instead, when he went to whack the ball with his mallet, he underestimated his strength. The ball flew through the air and landed squarely on Daphne’s face, knocking her to the ground. Bloody hell, he thought to himself, he was going to either be killed by his wife or Anthony for inflicting pain. 

That evening, everyone had properly assessed Daphne’s face and ensured Simon that though she would have quite a black eye, she would be perfectly fine. As they sat in their chambers, alone for the first time that day, Daphne eyed him. 

“I know of your plan with my brother to make sure Kate and I lost,” she said pointedly. “You two are not the most subtle of men, though you’d like to think otherwise.”

“Forgive me, my love, it was foolish of me to agree to help your brother,” he got down on his knees before her. 

“It’s just hard for me to forgive you after everything that’s happened,” she gestured to her face, marked with purple and blue. But then she broke out into a smile and started laughing. 

He looked at her quizzically, not sure what was going on. 

“I jest, husband. I am quite alright and it’s not as if you intended to cause me harm,” she touched his cheek. “Besides, if you did intend to, I fear my brothers would have already killed you.” 

“They absolutely would have,” he laughed with her, kissing her just as passionately as the first time. 

3. _ Dancing _ \+  **“Are you sure you want to do this? Because there’s no turning back.”** (too canon so there’s a twist)

“Are you sure you want to do this? Because there’s no turning back.”

Simon looked down at her intensely, seering his eyes into hers. His question was serious and she knew her response must be as well. 

“I’m as sure of this as I’ve ever been of anything,” she stared up at him. She went to move them to the dance floor, but his strong hand stopped her. 

“Daphne,” he said wearily, “if we do this, if we go out on that dance floor, you know what will happen.” 

“I am sure. I love you and I will not let anyone slander you. I wish to dance with you, now come on.” 

The Duke and Duchess of Hastings were popular guests at every fete in London, but there were some events they did not make an appearance at. The London season ran from April until mid-July, with countless balls every evening. 

Once a month, however, the Hastings were absent from whichever event happened upon the night of a full moon. He tried to hide it from her at first, claiming he liked to hunt during the full moon. Then in the winter after they’d first married, he’d come down with a cold. Simon did not feel any worse than he ever did, but Daphne would not let him out of her sight. His secret was going to come out whether he liked it or not, so he confessed everything to her. Surprisingly to him, Daphne was not horrified. She was intrigued by her husband’s circumstances, but her love for him didn’t lessen. She had questions of course, and he delivered her answers. 

It first happened when he was 13. He did not attack anyone, at least not anyone that didn’t deserve it. He just preferred to be on his own in the woods until the full moon ceased, to be sure no harm came to anyone. When he turned, he was still himself, his thoughts, dreams,  _ desires.  _ So when the full moon came and he turned, he didn’t run away from her. It was a secret they’d kept for a while, but whispers and rumors were often floating throughout the town. 

“Why not give them what they want?” Daphne had asked her husband earlier that day. That evening’s ball was to be at the Richardson’s, who notoriously hosted their balls in an atrium with an open ceiling, to take in the stars. Tonight, however, was a full moon. 

As Simon and Daphne moved to the dance floor, which he had been perceptibly avoiding all evening, they could both feel the eyes turning to them. He asked her one last time, was she sure? She tugged harder and pulled him onto the dance floor. 

Just as the orchestra began a dark waltz, the moon took full spotlight. As the Duke and Duchess began to waltz to the music, he was transformed by the glow of the moon: half man, half wolf, in all his wild glory. 

4. _Home after the hospital_ \+ **“You don’t have to do that, really”** (TW: Post Partum Depression)

Though she had spent her entire life wishing to become a mother, Daphne Basset was unprepared for giving birth. Sure, she had her mother, who’d had eight children herself, but nothing could have prepared Daphne for the intense pain and excruciating annoyance that was pushing a human out of her vagina. 

Simon and she wanted to have children, after some initial miscommunication over the topic at the beginning of their marriage. As her pregnancy went on, Simon grew even more excited. But as her pregnancy went on, Daphne didn’t feel the way she thought she ought to. There was no doubt that she loved the child growing inside her, but she also couldn’t form a connection with the child. Her mother told her this was natural and that as soon as the baby was there, Daphne would be overtaken by love for her child. 

After 48 hours of labor and demanding pushing, Amelia was brought into the world. Simon cried and fell to his knees when the baby arrived, and Daphne cried as well. What she could not explain, however, was why she did not feel happy, but sad instead. She was grateful the baby was healthy, but that instant connection so many people told her of was not there. The tears falling from her face could easily be mistaken for tears of joy, and she hoped and prayed they were. Having to explain her disconnect to her husband or mother was not something Daphne wished to do. So she put on her best poker face and greeted everyone that came to visit with a large smile and an “I’m so happy about the baby!”

Two days after giving birth, Daphne’s doctor cleared her to go home. As she waited in the hospital room alone with her daughter as Simon signed some forms and went to retrieve the car, Daphne felt like she was going to throw up. Over the past couple of days, she told herself that the bad feelings would cease and she would come to find her motherly affection. But nothing had changed. Simon was so happy and she didn’t want to hurt him by expressing that she didn’t feel right, so the drive home was silent, her sitting in the backseat with the baby because she knew it was the expected thing. 

When they pulled into their driveway and parked, Simon quickly hopped out and took the baby while Daphne gathered herself and her things. She sat on the sofa when she got inside, relieved to not have to pretend for even just a minute. Simon sat down next to her and kissed her forehead. He mentioned he put Amelia in the nursery and motioned to the baby monitor camera on their iPad. After a few more moments of silence, he gently took Daphne’s hand. 

“You don’t have to do that, really,” he told her. Her eyes shot to him immediately. 

“What?” She was scared he was angry with her for not feeling the way she was supposed to, and suspected he knew she’d been feeling this way for a while. 

“You don’t have to pretend like you are okay if you are not,” his words came out like benediction, and it was enough to make Daphne collapse into tears in his arms. 

“Shhh, shh, it’s alright,” he whispered as he cradled her. 

“I love you more than anything and I will help you get through this,” he said. “You are not a bad mother for feeling this way and I will do everything in my power to show you this.”

Daphne knew at that moment that things would be okay eventually because her husband would be there for her and their daughter. 

5. _ Insomnia _ \+  **“If you’re so bored, I have other ideas on how to pass the time…”**

“Simon,” Daphne whispered into the night. For whatever reason, she could not fall asleep, and the boredom of insomnia was driving her insane. Usually, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. With four children, as soon as the moon granted her respite, she took it. But tonight, for the life of her, sleep would not come. Her husband was fast asleep next to her, snoring as if he didn’t share a bed with another human. If she was to not find peace and slumber, neither would he. 

“Simon,” she said louder this time. He murmured nonsense in response, which annoyed her more. She shook his shoulder, gently, but still strong enough to illicit cognizance from him. 

After checking over her to make sure she was not hurt or ill, Simon grumpily asked her “Whatever is the matter?” once he’d decided she was physically okay. Not that he was not delighted to see his wife, but it was quite early in the morning-or late in the night- and they had a busy day ahead of them. Surely she must have had a good reason to wake him. 

“I cannot sleep,” Daphne said pointedly. 

“So you chose to wake me as well so we both may suffer from no sleep?” Simon asked his wife incredulously, but smirking at her. She looked rather adorably disheveled. 

“Yes. I thought perhaps you could tell me a story to cure me of my sleeplessness,” Daphne said. 

“A story? The only time you enjoy stories is when we are putting our children to sleep,” he laughed. “You detest them all other times.”

“I am truly that bored then I suppose, that I require a story to help me sleep,” Daphne rolled her eyes at him. Sensing her frustration, Simon pulled his wife under him, so that he was directly on top of her, staring down at her flustered face. 

“If you’re so bored, I have other ideas on how to pass the time,” he said with a devilish grin. 

“Is that so?” she smiled up at him. He captured her mouth with his own, before moving on to her neck, her chest, her breasts, her stomach, down to her thighs, her knees, and her shins, worshipping each body part as if it were a holy temple. Then, he made his way to her womanhood, giving her the greatest pleasure in the world. Soon after they cried out in pleasure together, Daphne curled into his arms and was asleep within seconds. 

Simon knew most men would probably be angry that a woman fell asleep so soon after sex. But to him, knowing he was able to provide her so much pleasure and peace that she was able to fall asleep after all was the most remarkable feeling he could know. 

From then on, whenever Simon or Daphne could not sleep, they needed only to wake the other to alert them of their boredom, and they would remedy the situation in the most inviting way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but lowkey I want to write a Simon/Daphne werewolf fic now lol, anyways hope you enjoyed it....reviews and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

**Author's Note:**

> As always, let me know what you thought!


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